#wipmas

It was a rhetorical question, but Mecha's friend answered anyway.

"Because we're being paid more than our weight in gold, and get the bonus satisfaction of pissing off All For One more than we could ever dream of doing alone." He recited, the exact terms of the deal. "Which, Mech, I actually value more."

"Because you are far more bitter than your soft and squishy outside." Mecha tied a black bandana around his head.

En didn't really see how any part of this man was supposed to look soft- not the spiky hair, not the stiff wide shoulders, not the fact that he still hadn't introduced himself to En despite getting there ten minutes ago with Mecha.

Not that En needed an introduction to know his identities (or at least, four of them,) but it would have at least been common decency.

"Which is why nothing else but spiting that old bastard could convince me to work with anyone else again." Tomosu Rikiji, aka Chief but En wasn’t going to call him that just because Mecha, aka Shishiga Kuwaru, did.

"And I bet this "Mastermind" knew that too." Mecha jibed.

En hid a smile in his collar.

Mecha was right. Tomosu was too.

He couldn't wait to see the look on All For One's face when he realized what happened.

He'd make sure to get a camera and two or three servers saving it live, since it wasn't likely to survive the subsequent explosion.

Speaking of camera, he clicked through to the audio the bug tacked to the fire hydrant near the had picked up. En couldn't get an ID on the man who'd tackled the younger brother with that mask on, but apparently the man on the ground knew him.

He opened another window and did a search for "Noriyuki" and "Yari."

Apparently, Noriyuki Jin was one of the suspects for the killing of two politicians, a post worker, a substitute teacher, a child, and three secretaries in Yari Post Office, which really seemed to be more a cover or distraction from a theft of over a hundred thousand yen.

After looking through a few other of Noriyuki's aliases and work, En wasn't sure why he wasn't the prime suspect, but police incompetence wasn't his job to figure out.

Just to circumvent.

"Hey... Either of you ever heard of the Mountain Dog?" En spoke up. "Aliases: Noriyuki Jin, Ohito Kai, and Gi-"

"Why?" Mecha demanded, tone even shorter than it had been the whole night.

"Because he was with All For One at his last seen location and personally dragged that government hostage guy away. Might make trouble for us."

"I can take him." Mecha growled.

"Mech, it wasn't-"

"I’ll take him." Mecha interrupted Tomosu. Will, not can. "You focus on retrieval and demolition, Chief."

Tomosu just sighed, but nodded. "What do you mean, government hostage?"

"I tried to ID the guy they took, Shigaraki Yoichi, age 28, and tripped so many flags I almost had to nuke that computer." En checked how much longer it would take his crawlers to complete the security mapping. Five minutes. "They've arrested him twice without any real charges, and sent some very classified messages with All For One about it. Either he used the government to hold and protect one of his assets away from his creepy little cult, or he defected and was going to sell All For One out under that cover.”

"Or, he was an asset taken because the government wanted to parlay." Tomosu added.

Mecha lifted a brow. "Why would they do that? And then why would they let him get taken back?”

"Could have been he had a mole watching out for that. What else can you tell us about this Shigaraki?”

"It's his legit identity, but everything around him has been scrubbed clean. Parents, family members, most of that neighborhood... Either the gov took the rest of them, or AfO killed them. I could probably figure out which with, oh, another server and a few days to check backdoors."

"So long?" Tomosu asked, then chuckled at En's face. "Kidding. Now, when was he taken by the Dog and his handler?"

"Nine days ago."

Mecha let out some air. "So he's dead."

"Probably." Tomosu agreed. "But he was an important asset?"

En thought back over the dialogue he'd listened too. "Important enough to possibly know All For One's real name and to get an offer to share everything with him. The whole thing sounded like an awful adoption offer, or a marriage proposal, or something."

Both older men were silent, and when En looked up at them, they were glancing between him and each other.

Finally Tomosu spoke. "Exactly what kind of messed up adoption offers are you hearing that sound like marriage proposals?"

En rolled his eyes and went back to his computer.

“Izuku, please, if I die and the baby lives- take them and run. The Good Neighbors and other magical sort will be after you. Don’t let them catch you. Don’t let them take the baby.”

Izuku grabbed a sling to put Eri in- it was hard with her wiggling, and he knew you were supposed to be careful holding babies and their heads, but they had to go.

The midwives had rushed in when Mom got sicker this morning, all a flurry, as Izuku tried to rock Eri back to sleep- both had been kicked out of the bedroom.

But then it had gotten so suddenly quiet, and when Izuku had crept back to listen at the door, he’d only heard them talking about where Izuku could be sent to stay.

His mother’s voice never said anything at all.

She was-

Izuku managed to finish putting Eri in the sling and grabbed the bag of food, and their clothes.

He hurried out of the house and didn’t look back.

Even when he really wanted to.

Where should they go?

If he stayed in town, the mages would easily find them and take Eri.

The stories said they would switch her for a princess to steal fairy magic or royal secrets, or otherwise change her, as they had been doing to orphaned babes for decades and decades.

He could leave town, and flee to the woods, where no one would look for them.

But that was because the woods were the home of the fae. The ones who’d been so angry that mages had been stealing their power that they would take away any child they could, to spite them.

The mages in the cities, or the fairies in the forests?

Which was worse?

There was another option, Izuku realized as he went to the creek.

Eri calmed a bit- seemed she liked the movement and the fresh air.

If he crossed the bridge over the creek, he’d be in the woods.

But if he followed the creek down to the river, he could buy passage on a boat. Get further away, maybe to a city where mages had less power than Musutafu. Or maybe to the mountain, he could work there with the sheep, or in a mine.

He could think of a dozen things wrong with each plan,

But he had to move.

He turned down the creek, and began to follow it, clinging to the iron nail he’d removed from Eri’s crib.

It was supposed to ward off fairies.

How did one ward off a mage?

And… did he even want to?

Izuku had always been enchanted by the feats of magic he’d been able to see.

And well- Katsuki certainly hadn’t been nice about Izuku accidentally watching him, but he had been trying to keep it a secret, and he’d never want to take or change a kid.

So maybe the mages were better?

But no.

That was selfish.

Just because Izuku loved watching magic… he couldn’t risk Eri to do it.

Mom wanted him to keep her safe.

So he would.

“I’ll keep you safe.” He promised, looking down and seeing Eri asleep.

Ah, she’d probably dozed off when he’d been muttering.

Good. She should rest.

He couldn’t stop the yelp at the pain as he tried to adjust, unable to move much.

The candles around the room had burned low, and no light came in from the windows.

It must be late into the night, or early into the morning, by now.

The fourth day, since he failed.

Would Ganondorf keep him here, now? Another decoration in his throne room? A Hero chained permanently in failure, in humiliation… and Hyrule’s fear was waning, to let guilt and shame surface back.

Courage, he reminded himself. Courage. The others would not fail. They’d find Ganondorf, in time, and more than defeat him.

But, if Hyrule was still trapped here, and the High Priest only needed to take his blood again…

“The answer to my immortality flows in your veins, yet you were also my downfall. The irony is unappealing.”

Hyrule wondered if Ganondorf would find this other irony more to his taste: to return again and again against the other heroes while they searched for their lost member, unaware it was all his fault.

How long would it go on for? How hurt would the others be?

He knew the answer to both of those questions.

It’d go on as long as it took, the others wouldn’t give up on either defeating Ganondorf or finding Hyrule.

Well, no.

Perhaps one of them would.

But the rest- they were as stubborn as him.

The Cook would always be tracking, Rancher likely too, in his other form. The poor Captain wouldn’t sleep, even if he tried to hide it.

They’d keep fighting.

Would it be enough?

“I mean to use every advantage to secure my victory.”

Right now, Hyrule was one of his advantages, in a few ways.

He needed to change that.

In the low light, Hyrule could hardly make out the chalice of wine on the floor, still in front of him.

There were two paths Hyrule could take to remove Ganondorf of his advantages.

He could die, or he could escape.

Ganondorf wouldn’t kill him, now. Not as the key to his immortality. He wouldn’t let him die either, even if Hyrule had ever had the courage to.

Escape would be even harder.

But his friends wouldn’t give up on him.

He couldn’t give up either.

He reached for the chalice, and slid it until he could lift it, bending down further to drink.

The metal was cold on his lips, the wine long since gone warm and flat.

It was sour, and he almost choked as he swallowed it down.

But as soon as it hit his stomach, he couldn’t stop until the chalice was empty.

Hyrule felt empty too, and did what he could to lay on the floor instead, on his side, curled around where his wrists were locked.

Yamada was up, apparently.

He leaned against the entrance to the kitchen, amused smile under his moustache.

“It kinda is.” Aizawa said, grabbing the tongs to retrieve the bloodbag and drop it on the towel.

“Humans sexualize their food too, is the thing.” Yamada disagreed. “Not a weird vampire thing, and considering how many top pop songs do it, its widespread enough to not be weird for mortals either.”

“What?” Hitoshi’s shock had faded as quickly as the jolt to his shoulder, and all that was left was feeling incredulous. “No we- no they don’t.”

Something lit up in Yamada’s red eyes. “Really? Care to explain what you use the eggplant, peach, or bun emoji for then when texting?”

“I don’t use them.”

“Mhm. Never felt self-conscious about eating a banana or sausage in the school cafeteria- or see anyone else get teased for it?”

Well- there was going to be the one annoying pervert in every school, but as far as Hitoshi knew they’d be told to knock it off by more people than anyone who’d make a rude comment.

“Ok, so maybe there’s some people who do, and some euphemisms that are food based- but some are about cars or packages, so.”

Yamada nodded, but Hitoshi didn’t get the feeling he was conceding anything as he said: “Point. But not every vampire is out here sexualizing their food- and, though it’s an easy way to get a quick snack off someone if rations are low or you’re clanless…” He paused to take the bag from Aizawa, snaping off the cap and taking a sip. When he lowered the bag, his tongue and teeth were red, his eyes darker. “I do not recommend referring to any vampire’s loved one as food, regardless of if they do provide blood. Especially not my husband.”

A shiver ran down Hitoshi’s spine, and he fought the urge to step behind Aizawa.

Aizawa, though, just rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “Ex-husband. Now stop scaring my scion, Yamada, he’s not even a year old.”

The shadow in his eyes vanished as Yamada laughed. “Fine, fine, I will. Though he could be a century old and still have no manners, with just your guidance.”

“And?”

“And he’s- wait, not even a year old? Shouta, what are you doing? You’re taking him to meet the other young in your clan at least, right?”

Neither Aizawa nor Hitoshi answered.

“Oh, of course you’re not.” It was Yamada’s turn to roll his eyes. “Come on, he needs to make friends.”

“I have friends.”

“Friends who are like you? Who know what you are?”

… No. And they couldn’t know.

But Kaminari and Jiro helped dye his hair, and he theirs, and Ibara and him would sit in the cafeteria and never talk about their families as they looked over math notes.

“Not vampires. But they are like me.”

Yamada looked at his defensive stance, and Aizawa’s uncaring own.

“There’s no arguing with either of you.” He shook his head and went back to sipping on the blood.

“There isn’t, not when we’re in the right. Now sit your ass back down on that couch until you’re actually healed, Hizashi.”

With a salute, he went to do just that.

Hitoshi shook his head, and moved to follow him out of the kitchen, eager for some quiet hours in his own room.

Aizawa grabbed his shoulder.

What is it?

Eat something before you go to bed.

Hitoshi frowned- scowled, really, if he was being honest.

I’m not going to sleep, just-

Eat something first, Aizawa repeated, moving to the fridge to toss a blood-jam packet at him.

Aruji chewed his bite of onigiri far longer than he needed to, then finally answered, “Yoichi, I know- which is why Suno and Striker B are covering what they can of Misa’s hits for the next two weeks, and we’re reducing the unnecessary ones. But If you want to help Misa, ask them about it.”

“We already finished all his paperwork two days ago, you know that.” Yoichi was telling the truth- while Misa normally accepted more of his help in that area, with the injury keeping him sitting he’d actually caught up on his own.

Their leader just shook his head.

“Then take a break, you both deserve it.”

Yoichi crossed his arms and glared at Aruji, who didn’t even try to look back, keeping his eyes on his food so he couldn’t lose the standoff.

Misa felt Yoichi’s gaze look to him for backup, and they glanced away- at the pair coming up to the table.

“Boss!” Suno was half dressed from his mission and with his second, Tonoike, a cactus haired woman. Neither looked too beaten up. “We got the supplies, Strikers unloading them now.”

Aruji nodded at them. “I’ll make sure its processed.”

“You handing out more tasks now?” Tonoike, always eager, asked with a glance at Yoichi and Misa.

“No.” Aruji waved them off. “You all go enjoy your break.”

“But Leader,” Yoichi’s voice was quieter, but no softer.

Suno still picked up on it, and Misa bit back their sigh. Well, apparently the ‘not that beaten up’ look wouldn’t last long.

“What, he still begging for more?” He asked Aruji, pointing to Yoichi.

Aruji looked like he was biting back a sigh of his own.

“C’mon, Boss, if you can’t think of something, I’m sure I can.” Suno’s tone turned cruel. “Lets see, he’s not trusted by enough to let him in the kitchens, he’s already on cleaning rotation, he’s got too high a reward for him to let him on missions, and he doesn’t even have enough meat on him to try recruitment sends.”

“Suno.” Tonoike nudged him with her elbow, looking ready to nudge him with something much sharper if he didn’t stop it.

“I’m just letting Shigaraki know, that if he wants to be useful, he can stop wasting our time with these requests. Keep to cleaning and the little things he does for you and keep quiet so we can actually take down his brother, you know?” Suno lifted his hands up defensively.

That was what crossed the line for Aruji, and Misa put his hand on his leg to stop him from opening his mouth.

“Go get some food and a shower, Suno, you need both right now.” Misa pulled rank and tried not to imagine pulling off his headband and gagging Suno with it to shut him up.

Suno nodded and gave a little salute, but paused as he passed Yoichi, muttering something that made the man’s scowl deepen.

Aruji waited for them to get out of hearing range, then sighed. “Yoichi, I-“

“Don’t bother.” Yoichi’s tone was clipped. “Misa, I need you outside for a minute?”

Misa blinked.

“Um, sure, if you don’t mind carrying my things.”

At the base of a tree, a figure clapped. Hyrule would have thought them a mouse, except for that they were wearing a cloak of leaves and a bright red little cap.

"You turned into a big person! Oh I've never known a fairy who can do that!" Their voice chimed with the sound of wind rustling leaves and dew dripping on rocks, but their words were clear as any other fairy’s beyond that.

Hyrule felt himself flush bright pink.

"Oh, uh, hello." He studied the stranger. "I'm actually not- I turn into a fairy. Not the other way around."

He really, really hoped that wouldn't get him attacked, if this person didn't like "big people".

The stranger gasped. "Oh, truly? You're a big person? The only other big person I've met is Link, and the children of course."

Link, huh? Four had mentioned friends to visit, though no one had thought about anything like this.

"The children?"

“Oh yes, if children are good and we want them to, they can see us!” The stranger sighed. “But the Hylian ones always grow up, so we don’t make real friends with them for very long.”

Hyule moved to kneel down closer to the stranger. “I admit I haven’t met a wingless fairy before who was this small. Why can only children see you?” If it was a curse, perhaps between the Smithy and the Veteran they’d be able to figure a way to undo it.

“Oh! I’m no fairy.” The stranger laughed. “I’m Minish!”

Minish? Hyrule had never heard of them, and they were speaking like a fairy, but he’d just have to take their word for it.

“Hello then, Minish friend. You can call me Traveler, what can I call you?”

“My name is Alfari!” The Minish- Alfari- said with a wave. “You really are a big person then, with that name. How exciting!”

Hyrule- who's name was Link and had never met someone actually named Traveler- blinked. “What do you mean?”

“They're all named for things! Smiths, Links, Travelers, you know. There's no thing called an Alfari, there's just me.” The Minish explained, and they did have a point… there were others, but “Zelda” was more a title that just meant princess than a name by his era, and from what the other heroes said “Impa” might as well be the same. Bug, Error, those were more things, and his name was actually Link even if it wasn’t Traveler…

Oh, they really did have a point then.

“I guess I never thought about that.”

“Where do you travel from?” Alfari asked, eager.

“Calatia.” It was somewhat true, even if he hadn’t been back nearly half his life ago. “It’s a land south and west of Hyrule.”

Alfari’s mouth dropped open. “I’ve never heard of such a place.”

“I can tell you about it, if you tell me about this er- ah, kingdom. I’m still pretty newly arrived.”

The Minish was eager to agree, and they swapped stories of peoples and trades, magics and fairy fountains.

Then Alfari mentioned kinstones.

“What are those?”

“You don’t have them in Calatia?” Alfari sounded more surprised about this than they had Hyrule turning from fairy to hylian.

He shook his head.

Alfari jumped and called for him to follow, then pointed at some grass.

“There’s one there!”

Confused, Hyrule patted around, finding a smooth rock.

When he picked it up, he found a strange blue shape- like it was supposed to be round and flat like a saucer, but broken in half.

Magic, latent but there, hummed inside.

“What-“ his question was cut off as a note cut through the winds of the woods, then rose to a second and a third.

F, B, D, it repeated, F, B, D.

“What was that?” Alfari asked, hands over their mouth. “It sounded a bit like Link’s ocarina, but I’ve never heard him play that song. I thought he didn’t know any…”

Huh. Hyrule hadn’t known that Four could play the ocarina as well, he’d never said anything about it when the Old Man brought it up.

The Soaring Song repeated, and Hyrule reached for his own whistle.

“It’s one of my friends, just making sure I didn’t get lost. Probably time for lunch soon.” He explained.

Alfari nodded. “Alright, well- visit soon!”

He vanished into the grass as Hyrule played the song in return. Were he in his own era, in the right place, he could warp between dungeons with this.

But there was no such magic here, for him or for Time, so he remained helpfully in place as he replied.

It wasn’t the best way, in his opinion, and hardly fool proof- but it was better than Wolfie showing up to drag him back several hours after the food had gone cold.

It would be at least six years before the mark on their hands would be visible to anyone else- perhaps more, Impa knew in a time past some rulers were not crowned until their twentieth birthday.

Hyrule didn’t have a decade to wait.

Hyrule didn’t have an hour to wait, she knew.

“Princess.” She said, and the girl started at her regal title- Impa and Link rarely used it outside of court.

“Yes, Impa?” Her dark eyes looked almost black in the room, innocent and deep with kindness despite everything. Deep with intelligence too, because of everything.

Impa moved towards them, words twisting around in her head. She bent over, taking their cups.

Link frowned- he still had more left, but Impa put the cups behind her on the floor.

“Zelda. King Gudridan Zachrison has fallen in battle.”

Twin gasps turned to tears and tiny hands gripping her sleeves.

“I’m sorry.” Impa said, bringing the children in a hug.

She pulled her wrinkled old hands through Link’s hair and Zelda’s curls- she wasn’t wearing her circlet. She’d have to now, whenever she wasn’t in bed. If not more, if not a crown.

Princess Zelda XVI, as far as Hyrule was concerned, the sole heir to the throne and the single remaining Triforce of Wisdom.

Ganon would now head straight towards her.

If Ridan’s army couldn’t hold him, then the guards at North Castle would stand no chance.

She pulled away, and wiped the children’s tears.

“I’m sorry. But we need to leave the castle.”

“What?” Zelda gasped, shaking her head already. Link did the same.

“Ganon will come for you if you remain here.” And she’d keep her safe, like she couldn’t keep her mother safe.

“We need to take the Triforce.” Zelda argued. “And the guards would want to come with us. We’d need to send everyone away to be safe. And some of them won’t go.”

Impa couldn’t help glancing at the triangle on the back of Zelda’s right hand- but no, it was still lurking under the skin, hidden to any eyes not blessed by the Sheikah.

So wise.

So young.

“Some won’t. But we can warn as many to leave as possible. And we’ll take the Triforce.” She assured.

Link looked to the fire, brows furrowed, but didn’t voice his thoughts.

Zelda did. “Papa- he shouldn’t have taken the Triforce of Power. Ganon will look for me when I’m not here. I don’t want him to find it if he does…”

Impa considered this.

“You want to hide it somewhere else?”

“It’ll call to Ganon.” Zelda shook her head. “Unless we have a magic barrier, but…”

But the young princess did not have such strength or study yet, and any sages that did were far from here.

The fire crackled in the silent room, all thinking desperately in circles.

“I’ll break it.” Zelda said.

“What?” Impa asked.

“What?” Link asked at the same time.

“I can break it.” She sounded sure. “He’d have to find all the pieces on his own.”

If it were possible, it would be a good idea…

If.

“They won’t let you go.” Link spoke up. “The court.”

“We’ll sneak out.” Zelda knew it without Impa having to say. “Go to hide.”

“And the spies?”

The Eyes of Ganon are everywhere.

“Impa’s are better.” The girl’s quick defense was earnest as it was wrong.

“And then who reigns? They’ll hand it over as soon as Ganon arrives.”

“Ganon already rules. Pa- the king is dead.” Zelda’s tears returned at that, but her voice didn’t waver.

Link flinched at her words, looking back to the fire.

“He’ll hunt you down too, for the pieces.”

“We’ll hide.”

“Where? If he rules like you said, then where?”

Zelda looked to Impa.

She’d been planning to go south, to Oisín’s hiding place.

“I’ll stay here.” Link said. “They’ll expect me to know where Grandmother took you, I can throw them off.”

“No!” Zelda grabbed his arm. “We aren’t leaving you behind when Ganon’s coming here!”

Link stood his ground, and the princess looked to Impa desperately.

But a different plan was forming in her mind, looking at them besides each other.

Similar hair color, similar complexion, Link only a little shorter in a way that wouldn’t be noticeable in a court of adults.

“Link…” She hesitated, then remembered how little time they had. “If you were to remain here, would you do so in the Princess’s place? We cut her hair, and you wear her crown, and no one even knows to try and hunt her down.”

The boy’s brows furrowed, but in a thoughtful way this time.

His eyes were bright green, the only obvious enough difference- but she knew something that could change it, and with the right clothes, the few who dared to look directly into the monarch’s eyes should hardly notice.

“No,” Zelda repeated. “You can’t- Ganon will kill you, if you’re here and the Triforce isn’t. He’ll search for the Triforce anyway, we should all go.”

“He’ll keep him- ‘you’- alive as long as he’s looking for the pieces of Wisdom.” Impa was sure.

“And if he gets them all, I’d be dead anyway.” Link crossed his arms. “Let’s do it.”

Old red and young green eyes looked to the princess.

Her lip wobbled.

She looked down.

“If you die, I’ll never forgive you.” She promised.

Link nodded.

“Go get the Triforce.” Impa pressed a hand into Zelda’s shoulder. A task to do always helped a heavy heart. “Do not be seen.”

In the meantime, she had to disguise Link.

An enchantment, a haircut, and tucking a dress and cap just-so later, and Zelda was back, divine emblem in hands.

“I need to cut your hair too.” Impa said, reading her scissors. Zelda didn’t say anything, just focused on the Triforce.

With each snip, a lock of hair fell to the ground- and so too did a golden shard.

Link wrapped each in a sack, hands free of wrinkles and shaking and Impa almost feared the touch of the fragments would alight the matching design under his skin.

But it didn’t, and she sent Zelda to change into Link’s clothes before taking them all.

“Let me hear your voice.” She ordered.

Link considered for a moment, then spoke, voice squeaky. “Something like this?”

“No. Too high, your voices aren’t that different.”

“This?”

“Better.” She took his shoulders, slight things even if he had gained height on her last summer. She remembered leading him into the castle years ago, before he could speak. She’d introduced him as her grandson.

Impa supposed she never had told him the truth.

Another time. After they met again.

“Be brave, my boy.” She murmured. “Be clever. Be strong.”

“Be safe, Grandmother.” He said in return.

She squeezed his shoulders one last time, then turned away.

Zelda was fastening the belt and pulling on the other’s shoes. She did look like Link, if one discounted the dark eyes and the tearstains that swirled under them.

The girl straightened, hands wringing with nothing else to do. She wouldn’t meet Impa’s gaze, though the old woman couldn’t say she tried very hard.

“Wait.” Link had his cap in hand- from where, Impa didn’t know, she had said repeatedly it wasn’t appropriate to wear in doors and had tried to take it so often- and moved to put it on Zelda’s hair. Careful, the same gentleness Impa herself used when pinning in flowers or her circlet.

The princess caught him in a hug as soon as his hands were empty.

Both of them sniffled.

Impa counted to thirty.

On twenty seven, they pulled away.

“Be safe.” Link repeated.

“Stay alive.” Zelda did too.

Then Impa led the girl from the room, and waited until she heard Link lock it from the inside to move on.